Short Summary

The Common Market Foreign Ministers were busy on Monday (23 July) with two different conferences in two different capitals.

Description

The Common Market Foreign Ministers were busy on Monday (23 July) with two different conferences in two different capitals. The first meeting -- to search for a real "European identity" -- was in Copenhagen. Then the ministers made a mid-day air dash to Brussels to meet again -- this time on routine Market matters. The reason for the costly change of venue was simply protocol, which France insisted on enforcing. The morning conference was considered a political consultation, and therefore, under rules, had to he held int he capital of the country which is currently president of the council -- in this case, Copenhagen. The afternoon council meeting, on the other hand, had to be either in Brussels or Luxembourg. Hence, the air dash.

In the morning, the Ministers agreed that a European identity was needed in any new relationship with the United States -- a topic which increases in importance with the approach of President Nixon's scheduled visit toward the end of this year. However, details of this identity still have to be worked out, and Common Market sources said the Ministers did not appear to be in a hurry to reach a solution. Nonetheless, some suggestions are expected to be ready in time for the next political consultations in mid-September.

The Brussels meeting was concerned mainly with preparations for world trade talks to be held in Tokyo int he autumn, and a conference between the Common Market and developing nations.